Manga Village

By all counts, Ryouta Sakamoto is a loser when he’s not holed up in his room, bombing thing into oblivion in his favorite online action RPG. But his very own uneventful life is blown to pieces when he’s abducted and taken to an uninhabited island, where he soon learns the hard way that he’s being pitted against others just like him, in an explosive-riddled death match! how could this be happening? Who’s putting them up to this? And why!? The name, not to mention the objective, of this very real survival fame is eerily familiar to Ryouta, who has mastered its virtual counterpart–BTOOOM! Can Ryouta still come out on top when he’s playing for his life!? By Junya Inoue Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Mature Genre: Game/Survival Horror Price: $11.99 I had mixed feelings when I heard about BTOOOM! There were comparisons of this series to .hack going on in the mangasphere, which didn’t inspire me. Though having read the first volume, I think being stuck in a video game like BTOOOM! would have been better than the “Battle Royale”-esque “game-in-real-life” that the series has ended up being. BTOOOM! doesn’t waste much time in throwing the reader into the action….

It’s always darkest before the dawn as Taitou’s journey has become more difficult as he is beaten down with the death of family and comrades, and a change in loyalty by his most trusted comrade Ryouko. Despite it all, he finds the strength to go on and decides to fight his destiny. He is determined to stop Keirou’s madness from destroying the Ken Empire and its people. By Hiromu Arakawa Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Historical Fantasy Price: $10.99 I liked the first two volumes of Hero Tales, though I had my reservations. These last three volumes move the plot along quickly to get to the final battle between Taitou and Keirou. Along the way, the story touches on the themes of dealing with loss, taking responsibility for one’s actions, and defying destiny. While I still think Hero Tales is a good story, these three volumes still can’t elevate it to a great one. In order for the story to go forward, there has to be a lot of looks back. Taitou’s past is confirmed, and Ryouko’s and Keirou’s are revealed. The reasons behind Keirou’s intense hatred of the Ken Empire is explained and understandable. Many of…

In an instant, a host of the recently deceased discover that they’ve been given another shot at happiness…as adorable cats! Will they make the most of their seven-day opportunity? Or will the fur fly as they struggle to figure out what life’s all about? Start with a Happy Ending follows finicky felines and curious kittens as they take a crash course in the ups and downs of existence! Can reincarnation give a legion of lost souls the wake-up call they truly need? By Risa Motoyama Publisher: Digital Manga Publishing Age Rating: 10+ Genre: Drama, Shojo, Slice of Life ISBN: 9781569702871 Price: $12.95 Start with a Happy Ending might seem kind of odd by combining death with cute kitties, unless you believe your cat is trying to kill you. But it’s not really about death, but what happens after, when people are given a second chance to re-examine their lives, and help their loved ones or themselves find peace and happiness. Start with a Happy Ending is a series of short vignettes that tell the story of someone how has just died. Sometimes it is while saving a cat, or it might be because of overwork, or old age. Whatever the…

In the fourth volume of Flowers of Evil, Takao makes his decision… He will try to win the affection of one his muses. This will be no simple task, as the teens in this manga drama are all now damaged and warped. Growing up without a mother has twisted their hearts. Helping people like that open up may be impossible, but Takao has thrown away his own humanity as well. Furthermore, Takao is now in search now a utopia. One that can only be shared with his best and only friend, that will sit, even if briefly, among the rice paddies and in the mountains of his rural hometown. And most importantly, it will be a place that pokes fun and undermines every little thin ideal that holds this town together. There is no way this new society will be accepted, but that is exactly what these two wanted in the first place. By Shuzo Oshimi Publisher: Vertical Age Rating: 13+ Genre: Psychological Price: $10.95 Shuzo Oshimi’s latest volume of Flowers of Evil takes place a few weeks after where the third volume left off. Takao is left to view his two muses back in their school setting but from…

Chris collects the last of the data needed to analyze and come up with a way to cure the zombies. Irel and Lamia go in search of the last remaining bottles with the blood of Jesus Christ, when they find one, they are confronted by Lamia’s opposite, Jeanne D’Arc, trained to be the ultimate killer, and with Ian’s help Lamia is killed, but Irel continues his evolution, stopping her and going after Ian, leading to the final battle that will determine who is the real God. By JinJun Park Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Action/Horror ISBN: 9780316220002 Price: $11.99 Raiders has been a rough ride for me. I started out detesting the series, but as a story started to emerge, I became more patient with it. Just as I thought it would be going somewhere, the title ends, but not before pulling out character and concepts from out of nowhere to accomplish it. The final battle is rather anti-climatic for all-powerful beings duking it out, but the ending is an appropriate one. Volume 8 picks up where 7 left off with Chris and the Zombie Hunter pretty much demolishing Area 51, with some added help from Crossline,…

After the intense drama of the Burnish Academy TV shoot, each member of the Muroe kendo team has a new outlook on their involvement with kendo, and Tamaki is eager to learn what reasons her friends have for participating in the sport, hoping they will help her find her own motivation. Kojiro plans a trip to observe the Gokuryuki national tournament to help Tamaki on her search, and with the support of her family and friends, Tamaki takes a confident step toward the future in the final volume of Bamboo Blade! Story by Masahiro Totsuka; Art by Aguri Igarashi Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Sports ISBN: 9780316189583 Price: $11.99 I was really drawn in to Bamboo Blade with the Burnish Academy arc, not knowing it was also the final arc of the series. My review of volumes 9-13 had me brimming with excitement for more, but this last volume of the series isn’t about the intense action and drama that the last 5 had. Instead it’s a quiet reflection of how far all the characters have grown and changed. But that is far from being a bad thing. After all the intensity of the match between Erina…

Madoka is horrified to learn the true nature of the witches she and her friends, the Magical Girls, have been fighting–and the terrible fate that awaits any Magical Girl who accepts Kyubey’s offer of power. Having watched countless Magical Girls sacrificed for the larger aims of his people, Kyubey is only interested in securing more girls to that end, and Madoka is left with his chilling reminder that she too is destined to be a Magical Girl of incredible power… Can Madoka and her friends escape this tragic fate? Story by Magica Quartet; Art by Hanokage Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Action/Fantasy ISBN: 9780316217163 Price: $11.99 All the loose ends get tied up in this final volume of Puella Magi Madoka Magica. The truth behind Kyubey, why Homura is so determined to keep Madoka from becoming a magical girl, and Madoka’s wish are all revealed, and like the rest of the series, none of it is what you would expect. Throughout the first two books, Homura has been vehemently adamant that Madoka not become a magical girl. We finally learn why through a series of flashbacks that show how Homura became a magical girl and what her…

At times hilarious, at others heartwarming, this collection of short stories penned by one of Japan’s most talented artists is a perfect addition to any library! A young girl discovers that new glasses give her a whole new perspective on the world, a bunny-girl waitress learns to cope with her male customers with dignity, an introverted art student inspires her fellow club members even as she takes inspiration from them, and more! Fans of Mori will enjoy seeing concept designs and historical notes from her award-winning series, as well as Mori’s own brand of enthusiastic commentary throughout. By Kaoru Mori Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Short Stories Price: $16.99 I haven’t read much of Kaoru Mori. I’ve only read A Bride’s Story so far. With CMX gone, her first series in English, Emma, is rather difficult to come by now. I do know about the series, and the praise it has received from other reviewers. What I wasn’t aware of, was just how much Mori likes her maids. This short story collections really makes her obsession with maids, and other things, very clear. I’ve never been into maids, so being hit with so many at once was…

Message to Adolf is a title I have heard a lot about, but never had a chance to read since it was first released in English by Viz back in the mid nineties, and volumes are difficult to come by. But Vertical has solved that problem by re-releasing the series in a 2 volume omnibus set in hardback. Finally being given the chance to read this, I had to take it and see what everyone was talking about. Like so many of Tezuka’s other thrillers, Message to Adolf is a provocative and compelling read, but like the subject matter, not for the faint of heart. By Osamu Tezuka Publisher: Vertical, Inc. Age Rating: Teen Genre: Thriller Price: $26.95 Message to Adolf is about three men named Adolf; Kamil, a Jew who lives in Kobe, Japan, Kaufman, the son of a German Consulate father and Japanese mother who also lives in Kobe, and of course, Hitler. At the heart of the story is some secret information about Hitler, that if is got out, could bring down Hitler and the Nazi party. Both of the boys as well as a Japanese reporter named Sohei Toge become involved in the search for the…

In the third volume of The Flowers of Evil, Takao must make a decision. He now has an opportunity to break free from the social shackles that Nakamura has placed on him, as he has a chance to be loved by someone he has affections for. This could also be an opportunity to be accepted by the masses in his small community. But with this choice comes fear and self-reflection. After having a chance trip to Nakamura’s place, where he got to experience the world his only “friend” has grown up in, he realizes that for both teens, there is very little future to look forward to as they are raised in the boonies. Their lives are mapped out before them. For most adolescents these days, life will continue to be blasé at best, miserable at worst. Can they change things together? Do they want to even bother? By Shuzo Oshimi Publisher: Vertical Age Rating: 13+ Genre: Psychological Price: $10.95 Takao becomes the center of Shuzo Oshimi’s third volume of The Flowers of Evil. Pushed against a proverbial brick wall, Takao decides to run from the masses instead of becoming one of them. Though he doesn’t break free according to…